Scoring device



Sept. 15, 1964 .1. R. M ARTHUR SCORING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 19, 1962 INVENTOR.

JRasseZZ Macflriizar IZZTORIVZE'Y.

We A? llll-ll'l Sept. 15, 1964 R. M ARTHUR 3,148,470

SCORING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

United States Patent 3,148,470 SCORING DEVICE James Russell MacArthur, 115 Harbor St., Branford, Conn. Filed Jan. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 167,356 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-65) This invention relates to a scoring device and particularly to a device for indicating the point rating of a contestant as determined by a judge.

In certain contents, as for example, swimming, skating and similar gymnastic events, a judge is assigned to observe and rate certain contestants or certain procedures followed by contestants and to signal his determination to a master judge or referee in charge of the content. Heretofore, this has been done by voice or waving of flags or holding up signs. This method is slow and is often subject to misunderstanding and confusion.

It is an object of this invention to provide a standardized visible means for promptly indicating the point score determined by a judge.

Another object of this invention is to convey this information promptly by displaying a panel or sign board, heretofore not visible, bearing the appropriate score indicia.

It will be understood that various changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the ap pended claims.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the cabinet containing the several panels bearing the respective scoring indicia;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the cabinet with a portion of the fiont wall cut away;

FIG. 3 shows an end elevation with portions of the end wall and sign boards cut away;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a portion of the cabinet shown in FIG. 3 with the top portion of some of the sign board cut away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a section of line 5-5 of FIG. 3 showing a detail of the mechanism for holding and releasing the sign board.

Similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts in the several figures.

The numeral indicates the scoring cabinet in general which houses a series of vertical moving sign boards 11, each of which carries appropriate indicia 24 (FIG. 1) to designate the scoring point.

In the preferred embodiment, the cabinet has right 25 and left 26 sections, the former having sign boards calibrated for the main points and the latter calibrated for points intermediate the main points such as fractions or decimals.

In operation at a contest, the sign boards 11 are confined in the cabinet 10 and are not visible and when the judge is required to indicate his scoring, he causes the proper sign board to rise for display by means hereinafter described.

Each sign board 11 consists of a panel 12 on which appears the indicia 24- corresponding to a scoring point.

ice

This panel 12 of the sign board 11 is surrounded at its top and sides by a tubular frame 13 formed as an inverted letter U. The sign boards 11 are held in spaced relation to each other by means of grooves or guides 23 in the end wall 21 of the cabinet and the middle partition 22 respectively. These grooves 23 permit vertical movement of the sign boards 11 as will be subsequently described. The vertical sides of the frame 13 being hollow contain an elevating spring 14 under compression secured to the bottom of the cabinet 20 at its lower end 27 and with its upper end 28 bearing against a plug 37 secured to the vertical frame 13 by a dowel pin 38. A spring guide rod 15 positioned inside of the elevating spring 14 and secured to the cabinet bottom 20 holds the elevating spring 14 during any movement of the sign board, since the elevating spring 14 is acting at all times to raise the sign board, means later described, is provided to hold the sign board at its lowered position entirely within the cabinet.

Stop means (see FIG. 2) to retain the sign board 11 in its groove when in its top or extended position under the upward force of the elevating spring 14 comprises resilient shoulder members 16 attached to the front and rear face of the panel 12 which abut against stop rods 17 extending between the end wall 21 and the middle partition. The stop rods 17 are held in position by being secured to the end walls by any suitable means such as a thread and nut.

Each sign board 11 is held in its lowered position by a latch mechanism 29 comprising a spring biased plunger 39 mounted in a sleeve 32 which extends outwardly from one end 21 of the cabinet 10. One end 33 of the plunger 30 under the force of the biasing spring 31 enters an orifice 34 in the frame member 13 of the sign board 11 (FIG. 5) and is so held therein. Pulling the knob 35 outwardly will disengage the plunger 33 from the frame 13 and the sign board 11 will rise under the force of the elevating spring 14. Each sleeve 32 is labeled with a flag 36 hearing corresponding indicia 24 to that on the sign board 11. For convenience in reading and operating, the latch mechanisms 29 are attached to the cabinet end 21 in a series of steps.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a score indicating device having a plurality of vertically reciprocating individually operated sign boards arranged one behind the other, a cabinet having bottom and side walls; a vertically reciprocating frame having a pair of parallel vertical tubular side members; a sign board enclosed by said frame; a pair of guide members mounted on the interior of opposite said side walls having inwardly facing channels to receive respectively said tubular members in sliding engagement; a spring member mounted within said tubular side acting against said bottom and loaded to bias said tubular member upwardly to fully expose said sign board; and latch means mounted on said side wall adjacent said guide member and connected with said frame to retain said frame in unexposed position and to release said frame to exposed position respectively as desired.

2. In the device of claim 1 said side walls having a height corresponding to the top edge of said frame when said frame is in its unexposed position.

3. In the device of claim 1 said latch means comprising a sleeve mounted exteriorly on said side wall; a notch in said tubular side member to receive a plunger; a plunger reciprocating in said sleeve and engaging said notch under the bias of a spring member; a spring member surrounding said plunger and loaded to bias said plunger into engagement with said notch when the latter is aligned therewith; and means for manually moving said plunger away from said notch to release said frame to move into exposed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Neuner Dec. 7, 1897 Baker July 5, 1904 Leonard Apr. 23, 1912 Rosenbloom et al July 16, 1940 Shallert Aug. 14, 1951 Rock Oct. 14, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Aug. 26, 1890 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1951 

1. IN A SCORE INDICATING DEVICE HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING INDIVIDUALLY OPERATED SIGN BOARDS ARRANGED ONE BEHIND THE OTHER, A CABINET HAVING BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS; A VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING FRAME HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL VERTICAL TUBULAR SIDE MEMBERS; A SIGN BOARD ENCLOSED BY SAID FRAME; A PAIR OF GUIDE MEMBERS MOUNTED ON THE INTERIOR OF OPPOSITE SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING INWARDLY FACING CHANNELS TO RECEIVE RESPECTIVELY SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT; A SPRING MEMBER MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR SIDE ACTING AGAINST SAID BOTTOM AND LOADED TO BIAS SAID TUBULAR MEMBER UPWARDLY TO FULLY EXPOSE SAID SIGN BOARD; AND LATCH MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SIDE WALL ADJACENT SAID GUIDE MEMBER AND CONNECTED WITH SAID FRAME TO RETAIN SAID FRAME IN UNEXPOSED POSITION AND TO RELEASE SAID FRAME TO EXPOSED POSITION RESPECTIVELY AS DESIRED. 